A Still, Small Voice: An Alternative to Ecstasy

I began rereading this last night and it is chock-full of common sense. I had forgotten how really good it is so am glad that I was prompted to pick it up again. For one thing, when I first read it I was a relatively new Catholic and wasn't familiar with many of the revelations to which Father Groeschel refers. Now that I am better informed, I can appreciate Groeschel's insights even more.

Naturally, I'll be sharing some of my favorite bits along the way. For instance, I have always remembered this solid advice from the introduction:

An Alternative to Ecstasy

In my final chapter I offer an alternative to unusual and extraordinary ways of knowing the things of God. There is a normal, everyday opportunity open to those who seek God, called religious experience. This is the action of grace operating in the context of a human life. If we allow it, grace will elicit deeply-moving responses and become a powerful source of virtue. this is the meaning of the words of Saint Therese of Lisieux:

"To ecstasy, I prefer the monotony of sacrifice."

Notice she does not use the passive verb "accept." She prefers the plain fulfillment of one's duties. the active reception of the innumerable signs of grace that surround us, the faithful carrying out of responsibilities, and the willingness to work on daily repentance make a symphony of religious experience, which is appreciated by those who are willing to take the time and make the effort. Perhaps many who are clinging to or seeking the reassurances given by extraordinary experience might be much better off if they knew how to grow and be enriched by the ordinary experience of God and the Holy which are available to all. Saint John of the Cross, the mystical Doctor of the Church, who warned people to assume that extraordinary experiences came from the forces of evil unless the opposite could be proved, would enthusiastically agree.

An appreciation of and sensitivity to ordinary religious experiences frees a person from the possibility of serious error and spiritual price. Therese of Lisieux hardly ever had extraordinary experiences, and yet her life was filled with a profound awareness of the presence of Divine Love. She even regarded falling asleep at her prayers as religious experience. The monotony of sacrifice, fidelity, and generosity may be the safest and most productive of all religious experience, and it is there waiting for us all.

A Still, Small Voice:
A Practical Guide On Reported Revelations
by Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.